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Friday, 28 November 2014

Sorry folks, but Bali is calling me. Really. I’ve got a week of exploring, eating, swimming and sleeping before I am back and shoved into Christmas madness. I’ll let you know how it goes. With lots of pictures and tales of Asian heat. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, 26 November 2014

Show of hands please. Who’s digging the rounded sunglasses? As someone who grew up in the late 80s and 90s, this isn’t the first time they have been a trend. For this very reason, I initially rejected them when I started to see them appearing on the beach and magazine pages but after a few months of eying them from the sidelines (no pun intended), I am ready to embrace my inner hipster. Just curious to know who’s with me?

Sunday, 23 November 2014

When we first moved to Sydney, I sat down one evening (with a large glass of wine) and researched my surroundings. The result was a very long wishlist of must-dos to be fulfilled at every available opportunity. A trip to Watsons Bay was top of that list and we finally got around to hopping on the ferry a couple of weekends ago. It’s a beautiful area with jaw dropping views of the city and the north shore, a few fantastic restaurants and coastal walk along the headland (with a LIGHTHOUSE people). I’ll post those pictures separately but it’s the houses that first got my attention. Hopefully they will keep yours too.

Friday, 21 November 2014

Every now and then, a fashion trend comes along that I admire from afar. Pleated skirts is one of them. They are soft and textured, unmistakably female – they never fair to catch my eye on a busy street. And yet whenever I picture myself in one of them, I imagine Dot Cotton. So I’ll leave it up to the professionals with their endless legs and perfect shoes. I’ll just blog about them instead.

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Eucalyptus – decidedly Australia. Surprisingly scarce. Well for me anyway. You know just before you travel somewhere new and you formulate an image of what this place will smell like, look like and feel like in your head? And then you get there and can’t quite remember what you had pictured as those images become replaced by the real thing? The image that formed for me of Australia, was one of Eucalyptus. Great big bunches of them. Imagine my disappointment when I realised that it’s actually quite scarce in Sydney. I’ve only come across one tree on my jogging route – I hastily backpedalled, wondering if I was allowed to pluck the braches off. Probably not. I settled for a couple of stalks which kept our bathroom smelling gorgeous for a whole week. Would we be committing some unthinkable crime if I got Jordan to drive me to our running park in the dead of night so that I could lob a sizeable branch off (taking care not to damage the tree)?

Sunday, 16 November 2014

I can’t remember whether or not I have told you about Jervis Bay before so I’m going to tell you again. Rich turquoise water, kangaroos as far as the eye can see and sand so fine, it squeaks between your toes. It’s easy to become disorientated there and think you have been stranded on some tropical paradise. In reality, you are only two hours outside of Sydney, perfect for a quick (yet thorough) getaway. Apart from the obvious beauty, one of my favourite things about Jervis Bay are the cute little rental cottages right in front of Hyams Beach. You seem to have to book years in advance in order to enjoy a weekend in one of them but I reckon the wait would be worth it.

Wednesday, 12 November 2014

Having grown up in a tiny house and lived in a variety of cubby holes in London, it’s fair to say I have spent most of my life in very small houses. Apart from the obvious nuances – lack of privacy, lack of storage, lack of space, there is a genuine comfort and cosiness that exists between those four walls. I think even if money was no object for me, I’d likely go for the small and pretty, rather than than the palatial mansion. If you ever needed convincing, take a look at this little pocket-sized (540 square foot) home on Sauvie Island, an agricultural island on the Columbia River 15 minutes north of Portland. My Pinterest boards are no stranger to several of these rooms but I had yet to see the whole house, laid out in all it’s beauty. Abundant light, clever storage, open plan rooms – they’ve thought just about everything to get that feeling of space and comfort. Read more about it here…

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